Revised Literal Translation
Exodus 1:17
17But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.
Exodus 1:17 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.
- New International Version (NIV)The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live.
- English Standard Version (ESV)But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live.
- New King James Version (NKJV)But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male children alive.
Context of Exodus 1:17
15And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah: 16And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live. But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive. 18And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men children alive? 19And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them.
Read all of Exodus 1Exodus 1:17 word by word
וַתִּירֶ֤אןָ הַֽמְיַלְּדֹת֙ אֶת־הָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔ים וְלֹ֣א עָשׂ֔וּ כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר דִּבֶּ֥ר אֲלֵיהֶ֖ן מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרָ֑יִם וַתְּחַיֶּ֖יןָ אֶת־הַיְלָדִֽים׃Read the interlinear
- But the midwivesיָלַדyâlad · to begetH3205
- fearedיָרֵאyârê' · to fear: revereH3372
- Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- and didעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- not as the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- of Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִםmitsrayim · EgyptH4714
- commandedדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
- them, but savedחָיָהchâyâh · to liveH2421
- the men childrenיֶ֫לֶדyeled · youthH3206
Cross-references for Exodus 1:17
- Genesis 20:11And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife’s sake.
- Genesis 42:18And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; for I fear God:
- Nehemiah 5:15But the former governors that had been before me were chargeable unto the people, and had taken of them bread and wine, beside forty shekels of silver; yea, even their servants bare rule over the people: but so did not I, because of the fear of God.
- Psalms 31:19Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!
- Proverbs 8:13The fear of Yhwh is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the perverse mouth, do I hate.
- Proverbs 16:6By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of Yhwh men depart from evil.
- Proverbs 24:11If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain;
- Ecclesiastes 8:12Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him:
- Ecclesiastes 12:13Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
- Daniel 3:16Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–nego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
- Daniel 6:13Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day.
- Hosea 5:11Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment, because he willingly walked after the commandment.
- Micah 6:16For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab, and ye walk in their counsels; that I should make thee a desolation, and the inhabitants thereof an hissing: therefore ye shall bear the reproach of my people.
- Matthew 10:28And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
- Luke 12:5But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath authority to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.
- Acts 4:19But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.
Commentaries on Exodus 1:17
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17The midwives feared God - Because they knew that God had forbidden murder of every kind; for though the law was not yet given, Exodus 20:13, being Hebrews they must have known that God had from the beginning declared, Whosoever sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed, Genesis 9:6. Therefore they saved the male children of all to whose assistance they were called. See Clarke's note on Exodus 1:19.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-22Verses 15-22 The Egyptians tried to destroy Israel by the murder of their children. The enmity that is in the seed of the serpent, against the Seed of the woman, makes men forget all pity. It is plain that the Hebrews were now under an uncommon blessing. And we see that the services done for God's Israel are often repaid in kind. Pharaoh gave orders to drown all the male children of the Hebrews. The enemy who, by Pharaoh, attempted to destroy the church…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17The midwives, however, feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had instructed: This was because they feared God more than they feared Pharaoh (1:21). Fear of the Lord refers to having reverent awe of him as the almighty Creator and Judge. This is the foundation of true knowledge and wisdom (Proverbs 1:7; 9:10). The Lord is a friend to those who fear him (Psalm 25:14). The midwives understood that the Lord has more power than any human.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. But the midwives feared God--Their faith inspired them with such courage as to risk their lives, by disobeying the mandate of a cruel tyrant; but it was blended with weakness, which made them shrink from speaking the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.Read the comment
Topics related to Exodus 1:17
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Exodus 1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
Revised Literal Translation — © 2018 Michael W. Jones, Sr. — GPL
Commentaries